Peaceful Assembly
During March and April 2023, West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) union has been protesting over stalled salary negotiations for senior administrative and professional staff. The teachers have been trying to get their voices heard while trying to reduce the negative impact on the students, but have now engaged in Operation Blackout.
Campus management responded by assuring teachers they have been in communication with the Chief Personnel Officer and are doing the best they can. Principal Rose-Marie Belle Antoine said “I’m hopeful, I remain hopeful. I trust that it’s because they are deliberating seriously the requests and the comprehensive proposals that would have been made, so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt that they are looking at it even more closely and as you have pointed out, generally, UWI is one of the first if not the first to get a remit when we have negotiations”.
On 24th April the University received communication from the Ministry of Education to commence salary negotiations. As such the West Indies Group of University Teachers have agreed to cease industrial action as the parties go into negotiation.
On 6th May 2023, social activists were prevented from gathering and marching at the Aranguez Savannah. Members of the First Wave Movement along with political activist Victor Roberts said despite being granted permission to gather and march, they were prevented from doing so by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and from using Woodford Square for their address, claiming the application never came before it.